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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — of water
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — the season
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. current — electric
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spring — of water
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. current — happening now
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com